


Standard

by boys_in (kaleidosphere)



Series: Servamp Character Studies [2]
Category: Servamp (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst, Blood Drinking, Character Study, First Meetings, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Memories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-04-04 08:35:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14016402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaleidosphere/pseuds/boys_in
Summary: Old Child has high standards.Tetsu redefines them without even trying.





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I.

Old Child has high standards. As the embodiment of Pride itself, he has to be a bit more picky with his potential Eves than his siblings are. For him, it doesn't actually matter which humans live extravagant lives and which don't. While Lawless of Greed might favor the upper-class crust with high-standing reputation and big paychecks, Old Child wouldn't mind his Eve being someone humble or frugal—someone living in a worn down camper versus someone residing in a tricked out mansion.

Of course, he prefers the richer Eves than the poorer ones, but the true testament to becoming an Eve of Pride isn't about social status at all. No, the one thing that separates the good from the bad, in Old Child's case, is the taste of  _blood._ His Eves had, have, and will have one thing in common: they all possess wondrously rich and extravagantly-tasting blood. They'll all be blue and cashmere against his lips, crimson dark staining his mouth and teeth with their vibrant and healthy color. All his Eves will be the singular source of his hunger and nourishment, such that they will have to be a cut above the rest when it comes to having high quality blood.

Old Child has high standards. Not anyone can become his Eve, but his Eve can come from  _anyone._

And this he knows all too well.

 

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II.

Old Child has a way of convincing others to do what he wants. It may be his dominion and control over Pride, but more often than not, he can cajole faraway Eves into living nearby his grand mansion. Other times, he can lead them into living inside of the mansion itself, and make them leave their home life behind in a heartbeat, since separation between a Servamp and their Eve is impossible without consequences.

Old Child owns a large mansion in Europe, after all, one that is almost as old as him as it's seen its fair share of memories—both good and bad alike. His fondness for the place might explain why he's so protective of it, but not even the Servamp of Pride can prevent destructive humans from wreaking havoc.

The only time he cannot hide his overt disappointment is when his mansion is finally destroyed by modern demolishers and business companies, those that favor the destruction of the "cursed property" rather than keeping it around for nostalgia's sake. So Old Child is left no other choice as he squanders the Earth for a suitable Eve to keep him company and provide him shelter. He ends up on a boat in some faraway harbor, and stays hidden as he waits for the blindingly bright sun to disappear behind stoic clouds.

He falls asleep during this time, but just before doing so, he swears he can hear the over-com announce that they're arriving in  _Japan._

 

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III.

Old Child hasn't been in Japan in a while. He's been across the globe—all the Servamps have—although the last time he visited Japan specifically had to have been centuries ago. Yes, he's sure of it, but the last time he was there, it appeared as nothing more than an imperial kingdom with tall roofs set against a blazing sky.

Today, he looks up at the modernized skyscrapers and gawks at their sheer height. The extensive subway system is no joke, either, especially since it arises from expertly crafted infrastructure and clever architecture. He's impressed at what several centuries can do to a civilization, but more importantly he's anxious because he can feel that his future master resides in this area. He also takes this time to be efficient as he gathers more subclasses there, and realizes that it's quite easy to find dying humans when the so-called "Eighth Servamp" Tsubaki has been killing humans and vampires, left to right. Old Child thinks that he cannot properly worry about this new threat until he has a new Eve of his own—someone that can unlock his full potential and become his partner in the same fell sweep.

As a bat, he flies over the buildings in the city, and searches extensively for the scent of gourmet blood he so desires.

It'll be hard, though. There's a lot of people in Tokyo, and most of them reek with the smell of common blood. The luxury that Old Child seeks will not be easily found, but it'll make the search for it worthwhile, in the end.

At least, that's what he tells himself as he circles the area, and sighs as he can smell nothing but second-rate plasma and city smog.

 

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IV.

At some point, he comes across a hot springs establishment farther away from the heart of Tokyo—one that seems emptier than usual and he can only guess that has something to do with the success of the business itself. Either way, he descends upon the property without a second thought, because the deep lull of rich blood calls out to him, and beckons him to come forth and claim the human that owns it.

Old Child lands on the doorway to the hot springs, and perches himself on the old wooden sign for a few moments. Then he flies off the handle, reverts back to his vampire form, and clears his throat. He knocks on the door, and waits patiently for a reply.

It opens, and before him is a tall man—much taller than the average man, but  _certainly_ taller than Old Child—with blond hair and piercing blue eyes. He seems muscular  _and_  formidable, reminding Old Child of the knights and warriors he had as Eves in a time long since passed. A small smile crosses his face, and he speaks with a clear but commanding voice.

"You, there!" he is still rusty to some extent, yet he manages to speak clear and concise Japanese without a hitch. "You called out to me with your divine blood, and so I, Old Child of Pride, have deemed you worthy of accepting me as your—"

"—If you want to stay at the hot springs, it's one thousand nine hundred and sixty yen per room," the man doesn't purposefully ignore him, but his words drone on in tandem with Old Child's long string of nonsense, and he loses himself in their meaning. "The hot springs, of course, is open all day. And we'll provide other services if you want."

"Oh," Old Child says, a bit surprised by the turn in conversation. He is interested, nonetheless, and takes on a proactive attitude. "Well, let's see that room, then!"

"Of course," the stranger says. "And you can keep talking to me, too. Something about my blood and you deeming me worthy…" he mutters this, and makes way for the vampire to step inside the rustic domain. Even if it's a smaller establishment than usual, there's nothing bad about it at all. Rather, the wooden floors feel smooth and familiar beneath Old Child's heeled feet, and his shoes click against the surface in rhythmic beats.

He follows the stranger's stride and takes in the good sense that the other has. Blue eyes stare down at him with a wondrous expression. "You mentioned blood and worthiness, so maybe you're a vampire after all?" he shrugs nonchalantly at the information, not surprised at what should be a shocking revelation in most cases. "I've been hearing rumors about them, especially in the Tokyo area, so…"

"Then you know that I was lured here by the luxurious scent of your blood," Old Child concedes. "Which is why I want to offer you a contract with me. And—oh, just what  _is_ this?" his voice rises to a peak when he finally comes across his room. He stares at its walls with detestable eyes and shouts: "There's too many windows in here! I'm a vampire, after all, there's no way I can stay somewhere like this! Think of all the sunlight that will pour through! How can I enjoy myself in a hot springs if you bring me to a place like this?"

As he speaks, the hot springs man is quick to cover up his missteps. Not a moment later, and he's outside the room itself, nailing boards against the window to block out the unwanted sunlight. He's loud while he works, but quick as well, and the management of the establishment yells at him for his impertinence. ("There's no way you can renovate on the springs  _now!"_ an older man shouts at him. His words go ignored as the stranger hammers away at the dark, wooden boards.)

Old Child is in complete and utter awe. He's never had such a fast acting, sensible Eve before. If this man is as simple and intuitive as he seems, then together with his gourmet blood, he would make the  _perfect_ candidate to become the Eve of Pride. And alongside him, Old Child can grow stronger and quell the ever-growing threat that is Tsubaki.

By the time he comes back to the room, Old Child tells him his thoughts on the matter entirely. ("I'm a real vampire after all," he says. "You should be thankful that I'm not attacking you right now!") Then he offers him a deal that in exchange for becoming the Eve of Pride and providing him blood when he needs to, that he will become stronger and more resilient as a result, and he can do some real good in the world because there's a major threat arising in Tokyo—one that will spread to places outside of Japan if it's not contained soon enough.

"So, what say you on this matter? Speak now, young one, or forever hold your peace."

"I agree," is all he says. "I'll do it. Not just for me, but for you, too. And two heads are better than one, even someone who's not as smart like me knows that. Then you can stay here all you'd like, if that's okay. It's not a castle or anything, but a home doesn't have to be a castle. A home doesn't have to be anything except for a place where the ones you care about are."

A small smile appears on his face, and the man before him suddenly seems so young and naive. Old Child will have to ask how old he  _really_ is later on, but for now he'll quell his own curiosities as he listens in to this pseudo-sermon.

"So, let's make this place our home together."

"Let's," Old Child agrees. "But first, tell me your name. I don't have one myself—that's something you'll have to give me. Surely,  _you_ must have a name. So tell me what it is."

"My name is Sendagaya Tetsu," he answers. "But just the name 'Tetsu' will be fine."

"Tetsu," Old Child echoes back at him. "Okay, Tetsu. I require an offering—clothing works the best, but all I need is any object that will represent the bonds between us. After that, you must give me a name, and recite that name in full. Finally, I will drink your heavenly blood, and the contract between us will be sealed."

"Well, since you're a vampire, then something dark and mysterious should work. Is this smoking pipe okay?" Tetsu hands him a plain, unornamented pipe with a long end. It will definitely enhance Old Child's image, if nothing else. "I figured any clothes of mine would be too big for you. And as for names, what if I called you Hugh the Dark Algernon...the third? Yes, Hugh the Dark Algernon The Third. If you're curious about the first two Hughs, they don't matter because they're not around anymore. But you're the third one, and maybe that's the best one to be?"

While Sendagaya talks, Old Child smiles in delight. Normally, this stereotypical bravado and ideology associated with vampires would be detested, but there's something calm and  _innocent_ in the boy's face right now, such that he can't bring himself to get mad at him. And the name  _does_ strike his fancy—it sounds strong, powerful, and intimidating, just as he really is.

Without hesitating, the vampire reaches out and receives the item from the human. There's a warm buzz spreading through the air, and he practically hums in approval. "The ritual is largely complete. You have given me a name, as well as an item representing our bond. Know that I am not your typical vampire. There are only seven creatures in the world—myself included—that can make contracts with humans like this. We are known as  _Servamps._ "

"Servamps," Tetsu parrots the word awe-inspiringly. "But yet, none of you have names?"

"There are official names for us. I am known as Old Child of Pride, but for every human I make a contract with, I receive another name by which I am called. You are that human—people like you, Tetsu, are called  _Eves_ —and so you may name me as you wish."

"I see…"

"So, to further along the contract, I need you to repeat the name you have just given me."

"The one I just gave you? Ah, you mean, Hugh the Dark Algernon The Third?"

Temporary chains appear before them in the forms of light. They are wiry and wispy, and appear more like dark blue smoke in the air than anything else. They collect in a ring around Hugh's neck, while also appearing around Tetsu's left wrist. The chains of light pulsate and relent rapidly for a few seconds, until the brightness disappears altogether, and nothing but static is left in its place.

Tetsu hesitates as he tries to quell the anxiety building up in his throat. Hugh smiles gleefully to himself, tenting his hands together in eager movements.

"Now, all that's left is the last part of the ritual. Come, my gourmet, and let me get a taste of your delicious blood…"

"Okay…" Tetsu shows his good sense yet again, as he gets low on the ground to help mitigate the sheer difference in height between him and Hugh. Sitting down, he's about the same height as Hugh when the vampire is standing up, and here he can see for himself the process of which a contract with a Servamp can be completed.

Hugh smiles, and his fangs are milk-white edges that stick out beneath his lips. Tetsu's eyes are locked on them, and he wonders if it'll hurt as much as he expects it to. The thought helps distract him from the actual pain that comes to him, because less than a minute passes and Hugh's mouth is stained dark crimson against Tetsu's neck. And each frantic beat of the human's heart only serves to pump another wave of blood in the vampire's eager mouth. He laps it all up, and leaves nothing behind but small puncture wounds and a gleaming layer of saliva over smooth skin.

Real, metallic chains form in the air now, and they glow a dark color as they connect Hugh and Tetsu together in every way possible. Tetsu stares wide-eyed at their appearance, and looks back at Hugh for a reaction.

For once, Old Child seems just as excited. "Sendagaya Tetsu," he begins to say. "The contract is complete. I am now at your command, just as you are my commander. Let's work well together, shall we?"

 

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V.

Old Child has high standards.

Tetsu redefines them without even trying.

He's full of surprises, really. Hugh can tell that Tetsu is younger than he appears, but to hear that the boy is still in  _middle school_  and isn't even old enough to  _think_ about high school is quite unbelievable. But the proof of it all is in the naive way that Tetsu sees the world, and his intellect which isn't quite much compared to others, but his good sense and charming nature is more than enough to make up for it. And despite having a contract with a supernatural, all powerful being like Hugh, Tetsu doesn't inflate with self-importance or grand ideas of superiority. Rather, it makes him even  _more_ humble, to the point where he often mentions that it's an  _honor_ to be connected to Hugh in this way.

The vampire tries to hide his own embarrassment, so he comes off as being quite arrogant himself as he laughs chastely into the air. "But of course, Tetsu! I'm a real vampire, after all, and so it's only expected that you humans respect my strength and power!"

All while saying this, he's standing on top of the kotatsu table in Tetsu's room, because he's  _that_ short without the height boost.

Tetsu doesn't point this out. He just nods in agreement, and asks if Hugh will lend him some more of that strength. And by that, he means to say that he'll take on any training that the vampire is willing to give, because aside from everything that just happened, Tetsu really  _does_  want to stop this Tsubaki person. This sincerity is written on his face as he smiles softly, like always.

Hugh feels like a parent with an overly good child. He hums in assent, then flies up in the air in his vampire form as he pats Tetsu on the head. "If you want," he offers, "then I can give you a weapon. And I'll help you train it, so you'll be ever-so-good at combat and we can fend off Tsubaki and his pesky subclass."

"I'd be honored," Tetsu says again, for the umpteenth time that day. His words never lose their meaning, though, and he looks down at his Servamp with an unusually eager expression. "Let's become stronger together, Hugh."

"Yes," Hugh agrees. " _Together."_

 

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VI.

Hugh reunites with Sleepy Ash—whose name is  _Kuro_ now—for the first time in the  _longest time_. He's seen his older brother on a few occasions since the murder of their Creator, but he has to admit that even then, it's been several decades since their last encounter with each other. And while the oldest sibling and second oldest sibling should, in theory, get along the easiest, that's not the case for Sloth and Pride. Sure, they're not on terrible terms like Sloth and Greed are, but they're not as close as they should be, either.

This much is obvious, but Hugh dismisses this common knowledge. He doesn't turn sheepish at the sight of his brother, either, and retains his confidence in every way possible.

"It's been a while, Brother."

"You haven't changed a bit," Kuro mutters, with something resembling  _fondness_ in his voice, but it goes unnoticed behind the lethargic look in his eyes. "I'm guessing that you're still causing trouble, in some way. How troublesome."

"I'm not the one brewing up a storm this time," Hugh insists. "This time, we can thank this uninvited eighth member of our family...the one named  _Tsubaki._ "

"Hmm, he's troublesome, too." He looks away from the shorter Servamp, and shoves his hands into his jean pockets. "Maybe he's related to us, after all."

Hugh laughs genuinely this time, the thought of such a thing bringing him actual joy and happiness. Yes, if there's one thing that the Servamps can preserve through all their immortality, it's their bad habit of always causing  _drama._

In that sense, Tsubaki is  _undoubtedly_  the eighth of a group who had originally been seven. Yet it still burns them to think that this eighth monster had been made outside of their knowledge, and that he had been especially equipped with the capabilities to  _murder_ the rest of the Servamps. That's the only mission that their Creator had tasked him with—that's the only reason he seems to live for, these days.

This unspoken knowledge hangs in the air, and the atmosphere grows stiff between Hugh and Kuro once again.

Some things don't change, after all.

 

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VII.

Old Child has high standards, even in his enemies. So he feels like he can take on Tsubaki's subclasses without worry. After all, it would take Tsubaki himself or some other force to  _really_  do him in, because there's no way he'd ever fall at the hands of some second-rate vampires.

That's what Hugh thinks before he's actually defeated, anyway. Because even though he works alongside Tetsu, and even though he summons his bats in offensive flurries upon the enemy, he gets caught off guard by a  _magic trick,_ of all things. One second, he's in the heat of battle with four different enemies. The next, he's underneath a dark box, and he can hear Tetsu screaming at him before his voice is gone in an instant.

Then, Pride appears before Melancholy, and he can do nothing as his precious smoking pipe is cut in half.

He can do nothing as the jinn leave his body in pathetic flutters—like white bats taking flight from a black cave.

 _I think I might have to start lowering my standards,_ his faraway mind wonders as he falls to his knees.  _My enemies are no joke, after all._

Hugh doesn't awaken for another few days. When he finally comes to, he's a little bit different than usual, since he's been defeated and he's lost a good chunk of his power. But one thing that remains the same is his conviction in his thoughts, and the disappointment he feels whenever he stares at Tetsu. "I'm sorry," he says to his Eve. "I have failed you."

"You could never fail me, Hugh," Tetsu insists. "It's okay. We'll pick ourselves up from the ground, and start over again. As long as I'm still here, then I'll be by your side. We have my new friends and your siblings to rely on, too. It'll be okay."

"You're too hopeful, Tetsu. That's rather foolish of you," Hugh tries to be strong in this moment, but his voice is like gravel that cracks beneath the weight of shoes. He gulps before continuing to speak. "But I am a fool, as well. So I'll believe in you, Tetsu. I'll believe in you, because even after all this, I'm still myself. I am Hugh the Dark Algernon the Third! I am Pride!"

He is trying to reassure himself more than he is trying to reassure Tetsu. Luckily, his words succeed in every way possible, and the boy in front of him lights up with a hopeful smile. Then he reaches out, and ruffles Hugh's black hair with a gentle yet firm hand.

But despite everything Hugh has just said, he doesn't feel anymore hopeful or courageous himself. Maybe it has to do with being defeated by Tsubaki, but Hugh feels tired and weak. Suddenly, he feels as if he needs to  _lie down_ more than anything. Suddenly, he feels sluggish and exhausted, more similar to a being of Sloth than Pride. He thinks that a nice hot cup of green tea will do the trick, and later on he can indulge in prune juice. If he still hurts after everything, then he wouldn't be opposed to having some motrin to settle the pain, either.

Suddenly, he doesn't feel so prideful anymore.

 

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VIII.

Years later, and Pride stands as nothing but a small shadow in a graveyard. It's a well-preserved one, the best that money could (and  _did)_ buy. Each little memorial stands in tiny yet identical rows, with handgraved kanji and katakana of the deceased names' on the front, along with burning pots of incense that let lonely wisps of smoke dissipate into the air.

Decades later, and Old Child stands as nothing more than that. He has no name now; he hasn't had a name ever since his last Eve perished. Tetsu Sendagaya had died of old age, as most people ought to. But his passing happened years ago, and Old Child still finds himself unable to move on. The fact that he stands before Tetsu's grave right now is clear evidence of such. He can't remember the name that Tetsu gave him, but he still remembers the other things in perfect clarity.

He recalls the sunny color of Tetsu's hair when he was younger, as well as the thoughtfully dark blue shade of his piercing eyes. He recalls the way he towered over others easily, yet outstretched gentle and helping hands to anyone that needed it. He recalls Tetsu's stupidity, and his slightly below-average marks in school. But he also recalls Tetsu's amazing sense, and his ability to act fast when others are stunned into slowness.

He recalls everything and nothing about Tetsu, and all the memories where Tetsu addresses him by name are just slightly warped like static if he focuses  _too_  hard on the details.

No matter how much time goes by, however, Old Child still finds himself unable to move on. Even when his siblings have comforted him in their own ways—even when the eighth, uninvited sibling has  _atoned_  for his old ways—nothing feels as it should anymore. Nothing feels normal or sedate anymore. Nothing feels like the routine it should _be_ anymore.

He thinks back to how he criticized Lawless of Greed for foolishly falling in love with his old Eve. He thinks back to the very beginning of his existence, and from the start when he warned his younger siblings (except for Sleepy Ash, who was too lethargic and too caring to ever involve humans in his life until Mahiru came along) not to grow attached to the short-lived humans in anyway possible— _especially_ the humans they make contracts with.

Old Child thinks that he's being such a goddamned hypocrite right now, because he's hopelessly clinging onto Tetsu's name and memory long after his death. But nothing he can say or do will help to rationalize his situation in the slightest. It would be so easy to just go out and find another Eve—it would be  _so easy_ to just move on with his life, and to busy himself with his never-ending army of subclass vampires, or to occupy himself with the eventful lives of his other siblings.

Yet he can do no such thing.

All that Pride can do is leave a bouquet of blue and yellow flowers ( _they look so much like Tetsu,_ he thinks) on a familiar grave, and sigh into the air around him that weighs stagnant and heavy.

"Oh, Tetsu," he laments. "You raised my standards so high, I don't think they'll ever come down. I don't think anyone can compare to you. I don't think anyone  _will_ compare to you. I really,  _really_  don't think so."

 

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Old Child has high standards.

Tetsu redefined them without even trying.

**Author's Note:**

> Here is the Sad Ending™ that I so desire! The details of Tetsu and Hugh's contract aren't actually 100% known yet in canon, so I went along with what seemed logical at the time. That is to say, of course, that this little story follows the timeline of the manga more so than the anime :) Servamp characters are so fun to write for!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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